The Kala Trilogy: An Urban Fantasy Box Set

by Teagan Kearney

  Tatya rested her head against his chest, aware of her powers surging, increasing, as he gifted her with more power. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Changing Sky released her and disappeared into the forest.

  She stared at the spot where he’d stood, wanting to cry, to call him back, to tell him to stay, that she had to have his help and couldn’t do this without him, but she didn’t. She straightened her back, drew upon the power he’d given her, and stood tall.

  “It’s time to go.” Otakay’s voice, usually filled with iron determination, softened with sympathy.

  She followed him out of the glade.

  Tatya barely needed headlights as she headed out of town. The road was empty, and the moon, a giant headlamp in the sky, threw the landscape below into sharp patches of light and shade. The hum of the Bandrui coursed through her, bubbling below the quiet resolve Changing Sky had bestowed. Otakay remained silent, but his presence sat beneath her skin, a hidden reserve, poised but curled tight waiting to be released.

  Corwin drove a respectable distance behind her. She’d found him leaning against her truck when she left, and had, after a short row, agreed to his argument she might need help afterward. They didn’t discuss what afterward implied. She instructed the vamp guards to stay and watch the shop, and Corwin cracked a joke asking how come she was giving them orders—was she the new vamp boss or something? She hadn’t answered

  Half a mile after turning off the main road, she stopped, left the engine running, and walked back to Corwin. “This supernatural stuff is out of your jurisdiction, Bill, this is it for you.” Pushing a little glamour into her voice was the easiest thing in the world. She was taking advantage of this talent more than ever before, but Bill’s safety was paramount, and she wanted him as far from danger as possible.

  Otakay stirred at the use of vamp power but remained silent.

  “Swear to me on Winona’s life that you’ll stay here till I return.”

  “I give you my word. How long do you think you’ll be?”

  “As long as it takes. If I don’t return in a couple of hours, go home. Okay?”

  She didn’t know if the glamour would hold. Somewhere inside, Bill would be fighting an instruction alien to his nature, but if it worked for the next hour or two that should be enough.

  As soon as she neared the place where she’d parked last night, her skin bristled at the difference in the atmosphere. Last night had hinted at violence; tonight, the promise of savage cruelty was thick in the air. Werewolves didn’t like their revenge served cold, they wanted the hot lust of satisfaction raging through their blood as they tore the culprit limb from limb. How on earth was she going to face them? She shuddered, then Changing Sky’s gift spread out from her heart, appeasing and soothing the fear and anger stirring in her soul. Later, she promised herself, she’d break down later if Vanse didn’t make it through the coming ordeal. But at this point, she needed to be in control. She got out of the truck, and for a second couldn’t move as the sound of werewolves preparing for the change immobilized her.

  A low thudding drum beat in the background, accompanied by the stamping of feet.

  She felt the reverberations through the earth and the occasional howl sent a shiver over her skin. She dug out her phone. “Forked Lightning, I’m here.” Her hand crept to the sheath at the back of her jeans, hidden underneath her jacket. She gripped the hilt, feeling the power leaking from the blade and seeping into her.

  Within minutes Forked Lightning, two huge bodyguards at his back, strode toward her.

  For a second, she didn’t recognize him. He seemed bigger, more muscular, and waves of coiled tenseness swirled around him. He wore his hair loose, and symbols painted in red on his bare chest swirled and shifted over his skin. She hoped the red wasn’t blood, but the flaring of her heightened vamp sense of smell told her otherwise.

  “What happens now?”

  “I’ve delayed the start of the ritual till after you’ve spoken. I’ve done what I can, Tatya. They’ll listen to you, but more than that I can’t say.” He gestured her to walk behind him. As she moved toward him, he reached out, touching her shoulder and sniffed. “You’ve spoken with Changing Sky.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “He came to me earlier, when I was getting ready for… this.”

  “I can sense his presence within you. The other. The warrior. He’ll always be with you. Did you know?”

  “Yes.”

  “After you speak, I’ll ask for a vote. To be honest, I hadn’t decided whether to take your side or not. My spirit guides left that up to me, but if Changing Sky is with you, this changes everything. I’m with the pack for this lifetime, but I won’t jeopardize my next. I’ll stand with you.” He looked up at the full moon, glistening through the trees. “We’ve not got much time.”

  Tatya put one foot in front of the other, not looking up, not thinking, aware of Forked Lightning moving forward, her footsteps matching his as they neared the pack. Why did her life have to be in danger before she learned who her real friends were? Why did Angelus have to ruin everything… again?

  Forked Lightning led her around the clearing, and by-passed the circling stamping weres. “Better they see me first. Otherwise, they might tear you to shreds without blinking an eye.” He preceded her out of the forest and onto the cabin’s porch.

  Standing behind him, she peeked over his shoulder and understood what he meant.

  Drummers stood at the perimeter, and the dancers moved in a slow circle rhythmically stamping their feet in time to the beat. The pace increased, and she could almost see the bloodlust rising, taking over and dominating the minds of the assembled weres. In many, the skin rippled, fur appeared in strips, muscles buckled and bones stretched under the surface as the hour for change neared.

  “Hoya!”

  At the sound of Forked Lightning’s voice, the drumming ceased, and the throng turned toward him, a smooth synchronized movement.

  He held his hand up. “I seek one minute of your time.”

  Heads bowed, though here and there low snarls of dissent disturbed the sudden quiet.

  “It has been many years since we had the occasion to perform a Thokicic-wayushna for our lost ones.”

  Feet pounded the earth, closed fists shot into the air, and a chorus of howls and cheers rose into the night. Pack mentality grew stronger as the change approached. Standing against the group grew more dangerous.

  Forked Lightning waited till they quietened. “But tonight is different.”

  “How so? Revenge demands blood,” someone yelled. A rumble of agreement ran through the crowd.

  “If you cannot listen to me, you offer a challenge, Billy Raster.” Forked Lightning’s voice dropped as he laced his tone with dominance. “Maybe you and I should discuss our differences first?”

  No one made a sound.

  Tatya let out the breath she’d been holding relieved Forked Lightning understood how to wield his power as a leader. Testing her powers against a pack of weres who were on the point of transformation wasn’t a challenge she ever wanted to try.

  “How does tonight differ from other executions? Well, I’ll tell you. Earlier you agreed to listen to my friend, a co-disciple of Changing Sky, the recently departed tribal shaman for those of us from the rez. I expect you to show her the courtesy offered to an honored guest. Anyone who disagrees will fight with me here and now.” He waited for a second, demonstrating his dominance as the pack stayed quiet and obedient. “To those who haven’t already met her, I introduce Tatya.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Sacrifice

  Tatya stared at the mass of werewolves turned toward her, aware of the transformation hovering beneath the skin, ready to trigger at any moment. She sucked in a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak when Forked Lightning interrupted.

  “Wait,” he said as the doors to the cabin burst open and a dozen weres dragged Vanse out onto the porc
h.

  At the sight of the vampire, the crowd went wild, howling, leaping and yelling threats and curses at him.

  His guards set him on his feet and used two long silver poles attached to a heavy silver collar locked tight around his neck to keep him upright. They’d manacled his arms behind his back and bound him from head to foot with heavy silver chains. He turned his head, the only part he could control, and his face lit up when he saw Tatya.

  She would have gone toward him, but Forked Lightning’s hand on her arm held her back.

  “Not yet.” His breath tickled as he whispered in her ear.

  Tatya opened the link and almost screamed as black snakes slithered along the golden chain. Horror-struck, she broke the connection and gritted her teeth as Angelus fought Vanse for domination. Vanse’s face appeared and disappeared as he and the demon battled for control.

  Suddenly, bright blue eyes fixed their gaze on her, red-gold curls fell around his shoulders, and the weres restraining him struggled to hold him still as demoniac strength amplified his vampire aspect. Then he disappeared, and it was Vanse’s brown eyes looking at her. “Do it soon,” he begged. “I can’t hold him off for much longer.”

  He twisted, shuddering as Angelus forced his way past his defenses and re-appeared. “The maker is always stronger. No matter what you do, Tatya, you’re meant to be mine. You’ll never escape me.” He strained at his confinement. “Silver doesn’t stop the denizens of Hell, and once I have complete control of this so-called vampire master, I will be free.”

  As they watched, he manipulated his power, the silver chains blackening, but before he snapped the restraints, one of the guards struck him on the head with a baseball bat, and Vanse slumped forward unconscious.

  “Take him down and position him.” Forked Lightning commanded.

  As they hoisted him up, a path opened and Tatya saw what the werewolves had hidden. Positioned on top of four sawn off tree trunks in the center of the circle where they’d danced, lay a large slab of black marble. An altar. The pack had been circumambulating a sacrificial altar, and Vanse was the sacrifice.

  Tatya watched as they laid him down, stretched out his arms and legs and hammered his shackles into the ground with silver coated iron stakes.

  She pulled on her powers, holding her emotions at bay, thrusting them deep inside. There was only one way to save Vanse; and if she failed, nobody here would care. She looked over the crush of shapeshifters, the clamor of their baying and the smell of their bloodlust fading as she snapped her barriers into place. She raised her hands, allowed energy to surge, and clapped her hands once.

  A deafening clap of thunder passed over the mob, and they paused, their ears ringing, turning this way and that, seeking the source of the disturbance.

  “Thank you for the opportunity to speak.” She needed no glamour. Bathed in power she glowed, capturing their attention.

  Vanse was momentarily forgotten, as they examined this new phenomenon. Now she had their interest, and the captive wasn’t going anywhere.

  Tatya controlled the flow of energy. She would need it later. “You saw the same as I did. There are two personalities inside that body, but you are mistaken if you think he is a shapeshifter. He is possessed by a demon.”

  The pack moved, restless, unwilling to believe her, but they kept the promise given to their leader and listened.

  “Does this make any difference? Dead is dead. True enough. But when a demon possesses someone, in the second before the host expires, the demon leaps. They have the power to move from one body and take over another.” Oh, now she had their attention all right. Every eye was fixed on her, and every ear open. “Most can only jump into the body of the person killing them, but one as formidable as this can transfer into anyone nearby.” She let them digest this nugget.

  The weres looked at each other. They understood her message—anyone of them might be the next host.

  “If I’m right, there’s a high risk of a demoniac entity taking over your pack. So, even if you don’t believe me, the question is, are you willing to take that chance?”

  “What do we do? He has to die,” Someone shouted.

  Another voice spoke out. “What’s the answer then?”

  More comments were yelled, and the crowd’s agitation increased.

  Tatya shot a quick sideways glance of relief as Forked Lightning stepped forward.

  “His death is not the problem. There’s no doubt he will die. We will punish him for his crimes.” He waited till the muttering died away. “The question is how?” He nodded to Tatya.

  “I will kill him.” Her statement hung in the air. “He can’t possess me. He’s already tried and failed, and I have Otakay, a Sioux warrior, Changing Sky, and my ancient spirit guides to help me.” She’d thought of accessing Fabio and Vanse’s vampire family through her bond with him but discounted the idea because Angelus might gain control of them instead. If Vanse was strong enough, she might have a chance, but he hadn’t known of his maker’s occupancy. Unless she succeeded in separating them, she’d leave his family out of this fight.

  “Is it true she speaks with Changing Sky?” The speaker addressed Forked Lightning.

  “Yes. Through the warrior spirit, Otakay. Just as I call on the spirit guides, Meoquanee and Qaletaqa he left with me.”

  “I say no! Why should we trust an outsider? What if she’s wrong and the fiend enters her? I say each and every one of us should tear him, and her, limb from limb.” Here and there, a few cheers rose into the night, but most still listened, weighing her words with care.

  “I trust her.” The crowd looked at the speaker. Adahi. ‘I have personal experience of her desire to help us.”

  “I, too, vouch for her.” Daniel stepped forward from where he’d been standing behind Forked Lightning. More people she hadn’t even known belonged to the pack, but who she’d healed over the past few years spoke in her favor; others spoke up who’d known of a parent or friend or child she’d helped; the teenage girls she’d protected, and their families, stepped forward.

  Tatya heard Aunt Lil’s voice in her head. There’s always a light somewhere, no matter how dark it appears. She fought the sudden swell of emotion, grateful to those who spoke up for her.

  Forked Lightning spoke, his voice loud and forceful. “Then it is decided.”

  The crowd cheered but underneath a new sound emerged as something primal stirred. Human nature fought feral primeval instincts for control to keep the latent savagery at bay for a while longer. The moon was approaching its zenith.

  Forked Lightning turned to Tatya. “Time is short. You must kill him before the change takes place. If you fail, you’re unlikely to walk out of here alive. You know that, don’t you?”

  “If I fail, I have no future.” If she didn’t succeed, Angelus would possess one of the werewolves. Ironic because he’d been killing their women for reasons known only to himself. Then it would be a matter of time before he came for her, because, as he’d told her on countless occasions, he’d never give up. Without Vanse, life would be bleak and empty.

  Tatya stood still and closed her eyes. She was in her sacred circle, breathing in the scent of sage and cedar, listening to the in and out of her breath and the beat of her heart. She called on the Bandrui, and the ancient mantra within rose from a hum to a deafening chant, before dropping into the background. They were with her. She smiled, raised her hands and pulled on her power before stepping off the porch.

  The pack opened a path for her, silenced by the light surrounding her.

  As she neared the sacrificial altar where Vanse lay unconscious, a wave of ferocious energy rose, battering her shields. She nearly stumbled, smothered the snarl rising in her throat, and ignored the sudden ache in her jaw as the longing to transform overwhelmed her defenses. The curse of the empath. She fought for control as images of jaws crushing soft bone and teeth tearing sweet flesh shook her core.

  The pack was no longer a multitude of individual desires and ambitions bu
t shared a single purpose—releasing the beast and exulting in a nature so ferocious that few, if any, could match. If they remembered the deeds they committed, regret came after the return to human form. The transformation was inexorable, and as the chaos increased, the ground trembled at the turmoil and madness about to explode.

  If she looked, she knew she’d see the werewolves starting to transform. She consciously resisted the desire to see their bones lengthening, jaws and teeth extending, and gleaming pelts erupting. As the hour of their dread change approached, Tatya froze. At once the Bandrui chanted louder, and she dipped in the swirling stream of their magic and ignored the siren lure of transformation. Whether the pack had quietened or her spirit guides were helping, she couldn’t tell, but the disruptions faded. How much time did she have? She knew what she had to do. She’d witnessed Vanse do it to Sean. She stepped up onto the altar, and straddled the prone body beneath her, pressing her knees into his sides. The silver chains had no effect on her, despite her vampire blood. She focused and light spilled out from her hands. Lifting and shaping the power, she encased the altar in a bubble of golden energy.

  Vanse’s eyelids fluttered, and she was looking into a pair of brown mournful eyes.

  She sighed with relief. He was still inside, still able to keep his tormentor at bay.

  “I’m sorry, Tatiana, that it has come to this.”

  “Shh.” She bent low, and placed a gentle finger on his lips. “I know.” She longed to trace the outline of his mouth, stroke and soothe the sadness away, but she needed the werewolves to trust her. Even now, they could interrupt, haul her off him, and prevent her killing Angelus if they thought she was betraying them in any way.

  “You know what you have to do?”

  She nodded, fixing the look of love on his face in her mind. Even at the point of his death, he was thinking of her. She bit her lip to stop the tears.

  “I have to surrender control to him. This will only work if he’s dominant, you know that?”